Siberian Gold Tigers - Day 52

To be honest I don't have a lot to say today.

As you can see I made some progress on the final page on these tigers. I'm definitely being spurred on my the thoughts of starting my new projects...although I don't have the threads yet so shouldn't get too excited!

My new material arrived yesterday.

EEK! came to mind.

Remembering that I've never stitched on anything higher than 18 count, the sight of 25 was scary. Then I saw the 28 and practically passed out!

I stood there with That's impossible! No freaking way! screaming through my head.

But, as always, the calming voices of my fellow stitchers on Facebook crept into my mind saying Ssh! One stitch at a time, old boy. One stitch at a time!

 

To quote Drew Barrymore in Ever After....

"Just Breathe..."

So, I move forward today with renewed determination to finish these tigers as soon as possible (which I'm sure will please Caroline greatly...she's been waiting quite a while for this to be finished!).

HAPPY STITCHING!

FORTHCOMING ATTRACTION: The WIP Saga! Forget about StarWars....Forget About Twilight...THIS is the Saga to watch!

Yes, here we have it!

The Saga to end all Sagas!

Ok, nothing like building things up but, seriously, for me this is the biggest project I've embarked upon.

The three pictures above are all going to be done simultaneously.

But, for the first time ever I am venturing into the unknown.

This will be the first time I've ever stitched on a fabric count higher than 18.

So, Indiana Jones is going to be done on 18 count.

I've already made a start on him, but had to stop to finish the Siberian Tigers.

But, now I finally get to return to this wonderful picture.

Finished size: 18.5" x 12.5"

Then we have Awwoo! from the ever-brilliant Sarah Paine of Paine Free Crafts

This one will be stitched on 25 count.

My intention is to use my traditional method of tying on an off as required.

Finished size: 10" x 14"

Finally, from the excellent Tilton Crafts we have the beautiful and majestic So Lonely.

This one will be stitched on 28 count and I'm thinking of trying out the parking method of stitching on this one.
Finished size: 12.5" x 11"

The plan is this....

Each day I will stitch an as yet undecided minimum amount on one design.

The next day I will do a different design.

Then on day three, the final design.

I will continue in this fashion each day.

Every three days I will post a link to my blog for an update on all three WIPs.

Also...as an added bonus (think of it as bonus episode in your favourite TV show! :-) ) I will be posting pictures of Santa's Toys Christmas Stocking design. This is another WIP which I will intersperse if things get too hard on the other three. So, there may be a bonus WIP picture from this too!

 

So, WATCH THIS SPACE

COMING SOON!

Cloud Atlas Review

Have you ever watched a film and thought to yourself What the hell was that all about? If that feeling annoyed you then don't watch Cloud Atlas because, I assure you, there's a very large possibility that you will be saying that a LOT.   This is a film I've wanted to see ever since seeing the trailer. However, many years (and thousands of viewings) have taught me that trailers are not to be trusted. They lie. They even make bouquets of roses out of piles of poop.   Nonetheless, I vowed that if I could see Cloud Atlas I would take the opportunity. Well, at the moment Amazon have one of their 3 for £17 deals going and this was in it. So £5.66 a disc. Ok, for that I'm willing to give it a try.   Given I've got some chest pain at the moment (feeling much better by the way) I haven't been able to cross stitch, so yesterday was spent watching film. I started with The Great Escape (my all-time favourite war film), which I followed with The Diary of Anne Frank (the black & white Millie Perkins version).After that much war I decided that something ultra-modern was required so I popped Cloud Atlas into my blu-ray player.   In the first five minutes I was thinking I'd made a mistake. However, never one to give up on a film easily I put aside my first judgemental feelings.   I am so glad I did. This is not the first time that my patience (born from experience and a love of film) has paid off. There have been many, many times when a film has turned out to be better than it's first few minutes and this is a great example.
6 interwoven stories. Most actors playing 6 different roles. An amazing ensemble cast that are at the top of their game, giving some brilliant performances and one of the most challenging storylines I've yet to witness. Not only does the film jump around in time from the distant past to the very distant future, but it also shifts tonally and in theme.   One minute you can be watching a comedy, then a Sci-Fi, then a touching romance. At all times, though, the film is utterly mesmerising.   I found myself desperately wanting to know what happened to Sixsmith and Frobisher; what the hell was up the mountain that Halle Berry's Meronym desperately wanted to see. But, most touching of all: the fate of Somni 451.   Performances are sublime and the film is impeccably directed; with stunning visuals and acting. However, it's not perfect. There are moments when you feel they move away from one story too quickly or linger too long on another. Also, the devolved language of the distant future, while very good at creating atmosphere, is almost impossible to understand. I had to turn the subtitles on to know what they were talking about - but, I did find that for the final hour I actually understood what they were saying (my internal translator must have kicked in! :-) )   If you want to watch something a bit different. Something challenging but ultimate worth the effort, then I highly recommend giving this brave, unique film a chance! Just don't try to stitch through it! You'll never know what's going on!   The blu-ray sound and picture are reference quality. If you ever want to show a friend what blu-ray can look like then this is the film to show them (this and something old like Gone With the Wind or Ben-Hur) I didn't watch all the extras as it was a bit late, but the two short featurettes I watched were both interesting and informative. I did like the fact that you could watch them on a Play All function or individually.

The Secret Language of Stitchers

The Secret Language of Stitchers

Yes, you read that correctly.

There is, and has been for some time, a language hitherto undiscovered by modern man.

It's sometimes bewildering, occasionally confounding while also being innovative and insightful.

It is only recently that I have begun to grasp the intricacies of this forgotten language and so I have taken it upon myself to share what I have discovered with you, Dear Reader.

Firstly, however, I must recount details of a recent experience.

(Some details have been changed to protect the innocent)

The other day I was visiting a practitioner of dentistry. My partner (who shall remain nameless) and I were discussing our secret addiction to the art of cross stitch.

Having recently learnt some of the stitching world's secret language I took it upon myself to utilise it's masking effects. The conversation played out thusly:

Myself: "I've never been RAK'd"
My Partner: "How does that happen?"
Myself: "Someone just has to want to do it"
My Partner: "Maybe you'll be RAK'd soon"
Myself: "Maybe. I've got loads of WIPs so it's doesn't matter"

A portly lady sat nearby leaned over and asked - very politely - if we could keep our voices down as she felt our conversation was inappropriate in polite company, especially that of her child - a rather glum looking specimen of boyhood by all accounts.

I refrained from my instinct to laugh when I realised the disapproving woman was deathly serious. My my, what a predicament!

Quickly, and with no small amount of embarrassment, I explained that I was talking about sewing as my friend and I had recently had to learn it's skills to enhance our careers aboard ship. Her look of confusion - while probably familiar to her, was irksome to me. I further had to explain that a 'RAK' was a Random Act of Kindness, in which one person gave a gift of a cross stitch related item and that a 'WIP' was just another way of saying a 'Work in Progress'.

I'm not sure she saw the funny side (to be honest I'm not sure she ever saw the funny side of anything) - but my explanation was sufficient enough for her not to call a constable to arrest the suspected deviants.

A lucky escape, indeed.

So that you, Dear Reader, may avoid such terrible predicaments I am including below a compendium of terms that may better aid you in understanding those who sew:

BAP - Big Ass Project
FAD - Fun & Done!
FFO - Finally Finished Object
FS - Forgotten Stash
HAED - Heaven and Earth Designs
KK - Kustom Krafts (Canadian Chart Seller)
LNS - Local Needlework Shop
McBAP - Massively Complicated Big Ass Project
MSWD - Must Stitch with a Deadline
ONS - Online Needlework Shop
ORT - Old Raggedy Threads / Orphaned Random Threads (this is derived from a real middle English word meaning remnants)
PAD - Project All Done
PFC - Paine Free Crafts
PFO - Pulled from Oblivion (for those projects you haven't worked on in a long time)
PHD - Project Half Done
PIGS - Projects in Grocery Sacks. Used for when you put your own kit together from fabric threads and pattern. (with tote bags aka PIT.)
PINF - Projects I'll Never Finish
RR - Round Robin (the act of passing a project from person to person until completed).
SABLE - Stash acquired beyond life expectancy
SAL - Stitch Along (when a group of people all stitch the same design or something from the same designer)
SALLY LIDOFF -  Here's one I made up today: Stitch A-Long Like Your Life is Dependent on Finally Finishing
SEX - Stash Enchancement Experience
SINS - Stuff I'll Never Stitch
SIP - Stitching in Progress
STASH - Special Treasures All Secretly Hidden
STD - Stitching To be Done (aka Stitching to Do) (Special thanks to Sue Wilkie Thompson for this one!)
TOAD - Trashed Object Abandoned In Disgust
UFO - UnFinished Object
USO - Unstarted Objects
WHIMM - Work Hidden in My Mind
WISP - Work in Slow Progress
WTF - Waiting to Finish

Non-Acronym:
ABLE STRETCHER - a specific hard plastic type of cross stitch frame available from Viking Loom in the UK.
BLENDING - See TWEEDING below.
CONFETTI - stitching term for all those single stitches and fractionals!
COUCHING -  There are differing opinions on the proper definition for this one, but all things say one thing that's the same: it's the act of a piece of thread (yarn/piping/cotton etc) is laid over your existing stitching and fastened into place with tiny stitches, giving a 3D effect.
FROG - the sound made when unpicked stitches are ripped out (Rip it, Rip It)
STITCHY BUDDY - Any animal that "helps"(hinders) your WIP by sitting on, in, or near materials needed on a consistent basis.
NEEDLE MINDER - decorative magnet attached to your fabric to keep your needle safe.
PARKING - the act of stitching with multiple active needles, each threaded with a different color. Especially useful with Confetti.
QSNAP - type of frame comprised of plastic tubes with snap-on grips.
RAILROADING - The acto of passing your needle between your two threaded strands to create the effect of two threads laying next to each other, like a railroad this gives a flatter, neater look to the top stitch.
TANTO - the Tanto Thread Organiser is a specialist tool used to keep your thread sorted while working.
TWEEDING - the practice of using two strands of different colours to create a different effect. 

NOTE: While the story above is actually true (yes, that really did happen to me) I have obviously adapted and re-written it to be in keeping the with style of this article. I deliberately wanted to create a feeling of 'period'. Hopefully I achieved that.
I would also like to thank all the members of the "I Cross Stitch and I'm Not Ashamed of It" Group on Facebook who helped me to compile the above list. You're all stars in my book!

HAPPY STITCHING, DEAR READER!

Siberian Gold Tigers Day 51....But, for once, it's NOT just about me!

 I have to admit progress is slow. There are a number of reasons for this.

A. I'm terrible at finishing. I always seem to cling on with every fibre of my being.

B. The last few days I've had chest pains - so sitting in my chair has been uncomfortable.

C. I've been preparing/planning my next project so it's all ready to go when I finish.

Hopefully, I'll pull my finger out and crack on shortly.

Still, I did manage to spread about 4.5 hours worth over the weekend! Yay!

So, with no further ado I now move on to my partner, Nigel's handiwork.

I've mentioned elsewhere that he's a dab hand with the sewing machine, but not a fan of cross stitch. I'm very proud to say that he's stuck with his latest cross stitch project and is making good progress.

This is 'Ice Cream Truck' from a recent issue of Cross Stitcher.

It will eventually be made into a cushion.

 

Talking of cushions....

Nigel always has his eyes open for that next amazing piece of material and, as a result, we have swatches all over the house.

Yesterday, he decided it was about time he made some with two wonderful pieces he had in his stash.

Here's the result:

FRONT:

 AND BACK:

Although they can actually go either way.

He's adorned them with his favourite red checked ribbon and a 70's retro wooden button for each side.

I think it looks great and he's done an amazing job as always.

Siberian Gold Tigers - Day 50....plus some bargains

Day 50. Wow!

It feels a lot longer - but I guess that's what comes from only counting days where I stitch 3 or more hours. I've had the kit in my possession for longer too.

But, if I stitch for an hour I roll it over to the next day. So some of my 'Days' may actually be 3 or 4 days of only doing an hour (or less!).

So, my 50th day, which feels like it should be a milestone, actually arrives with a bit of a whimper.

I didn't get much done at all. A bit of brown a bit of black. But, hey, each stitch is one step closer to finishing - AND one step closer to the next project.

I hope people reading my blog notice for themselves - but just in case you don't - I've now put a link to my favourite cross-stitch related sites. It's on the top left of my blog.

I've already mentioned Tilton Crafts and Paine Free Crafts on my blog.

The other links are Easy Cross which is the program I use for my charting.

Leisurecrafts Tewkesbury and Cross Stitch Heaven are both excellent for their DMC pricing.

Just a reminder that my first ever cross stitch design - inspired by my love of Star Wars - is now available to buy and you can see it HERE.

Likewise, don't forget that I now offer a photograph charting service, details of which can be found HERE.

For previous charts I've done, see HERE.

Ok...now to the bargains.

For all newcomers...I try to locate bargain kits on Amazon.co.uk for fellow stitchers with each of my WiP updates, just click on the links below to be taken directly to the page for the item.

Hopefully you'll find something you like!

HAPPY STITCHING!

Dogfight - The Musical and The Film

 

Normally, with a film to musical adaptation, it's the film I discover first and then I buy the musical because I loved the film and thought it would make a great musical (Kinky Boots, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Les Miserables, The Addams Family to name a few).

But Dogfight is something of a rarity. I discovered the musical first.

I was browsing through Amazon's forthcoming releases and came across this. I liked the cover so I had a look.

This is the story...

Corporal Eddie Birdlace is about to ship out to Vietnam. But, before they go, he and his buddies want one last night of fun.

They decide to throw a 'Dogfight'.

A Dogfight is a bet. Each guy bets $50 dollars that they can find the ugliest date and bring her to a nightclub. The rest of the guys will vote and whoever's date is voted the ugliest wins the pot.

So, the guys go to hunt for their girls.

Eddie finds Rose.

Rose is a shy waitress with aspirations to write songs. She innocent and idealistic and never thought someone like Eddie would ever be interested in her.

If you want to find out what happens you'll have to watch the film or buy the musical!

 All I can say is that I thought it was a beautiful and touching story. The musical is stunning and the two leads are breathtaking. Everything about it is perfect. There are some incredibly powerful ballads but also a lot of very catchy chorus numbers.

It stayed in my CD player for about 4 weeks solid and I still listen to it at least once a week (as I type actually).

It was while reading the booklet that I discovered it was based on a 1991 films starring River Phoenix and Lily Taylor.

WHAT!!!??? A River Phoenix film I haven't seen? That can't be right!

I loved River Phoenix. I thought he was one of the best actors of his generation and it was such a tragedy when he died.

But, for some reason, the film of Dogfight had just passed me buy.

So...I went on a DVD hunt.

What did I discover? That it had never been released in the UK and that US (Region 1) copies were quite hard to find.

Lucky for me, about a week later, a UK charity was selling a copy on Amazon. I managed to get it for £12! It also turned out to be Region Free! Yay!

Phoenix and Taylor both turn in brilliant performances. But, I never expected anything less.

It was also really great to have some visuals to go with the story from the musical.

My only criticism of the film is that I felt the ending had slightly less of an emotional punch. It's a quite a gentle film. The pace is steady and a little slow at times. But, if you like character driven stories then this is definitely worth a watch. If you can track a copy down!

But, I still loved it and would definitely replace it to blu-ray if it ever became available (that means I think it's excellent! LOL!)